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320th Field Artillery Regiment
The 320th Field Artillery Regiment (FAR) is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army. A parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System, the 320th FAR currently has four active elements in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault): 1st Battalion, 320th FAR (1-320 "Top Guns")in 2nd Brigade Combat Team; 2nd Battalion, 320th FAR (2-320 "Balls of the Eagle") in 1st Brigade Combat Team; 3rd Battalion, 320th FAR (3-320 "Red Knight Rakkasans") in 3rd Brigade Combat Team; and 4th Battalion, 320th FAR (4-320 "Tomahawks") in 4th Brigade Combat Team. History Lineage Constituted 5 August 1917 in the National Army (USA) as the 320th Field Artillery and assigned to the 82d Division Organized 29 August 1917 at Camp Gordon, Georgia Demobilized 12 May 1919 at Camp Dix, New Jersey Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as the 320th Field Artillery and assigned to the 82d Division (later redesignated as the 82d Airborne Division) Organized in December 1921 at Columbia, South Carolina Reorganized and redesignated 13 February 1942 as the 320th Field Artillery Battalion Ordered into active military service 25 March 1942 and reorganized at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana Reorganized and redesignated 15 August 1942 as the 320th Glider Field Artillery Battalion (Organized Reserves redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps) Withdrawn 15 November 1948 from the Organized Reserve Corps and allotted to the Regular Army Inactivated 15 December 1948 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina Relieved 14 December 1950 from assignment to the 82d Airborne Division Redesignated 1 August 1951 as the 320th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion and activated at Fort Benning, Georgia Reorganized and redesignated 22 March 1957 as the 320th Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System Redesignated 1 September 1971 as the 320th Field Artillery Withdrawn 2 October 1986 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System Distinctive unit insignia Description A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches (2.86 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Gules, on a palmetto tree eradicated Or a Lorraine cross Azure. Attached below and to the sides of the shield a Gold scroll inscribed “VOLENS ET POTENS” in Red letters. Symbolism The shield is scarlet for Artillery; the palmetto tree, representing South Carolina, alludes to the district to which the unit was allocated. The Lorraine cross represents service in the Lorraine sector, France. Background The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 320th Field Artillery Regiment, Organized Reserves on 27 July 1925. It was redesignated for the 320th Field Artillery Battalion on 23 April 1942. It was redesignated for the 320th Glider Field Artillery Battalion on 22 October 1942. The insignia was redesignated for the 320th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion on 15 October 1951. It was redesignated for the 320th Artillery Regiment on 24 September 1958. Effective 1 September 1971, the insignia was redesignated for the 320th Field Artillery Regiment. The insignia was amended to update the description on 3 February 2005. Coat of arms *Blazon ** Shield:Gules, on a palmetto tree eradicated Or a Lorraine cross Azure. ** Crest:On a wreath Or and Gules, issuing from two pairs of wings conjoined, elevated and addorsed Argent a lozenge of the like bearing a four-bastioned fort one bastion to chief parti per pale of the second and Azure charged with a lion's face Gold. ** Motto:VOLENS ET POTENS (Willing and Able). *Symbolism ** Shield:The shield is scarlet for Artillery; the palmetto tree, representing South Carolina, alludes to the district to which the unit was allocated. The Lorraine cross represents service in the Lorraine sector, France. ** Crest:The design of the crest commemorates three of the unit's especially noteworthy actions in World War II; i.e., the amphibious assault at Maori, Italy, the glider assault into Normandy, and participation in the Battle of the Bulge. The two pairs of wings from the arms of the Province of Salerno, where Maori is located, refer to that action. They also refer to the unit's service as a glider unit during World War II and its continued assignment to airborne organizations. The lion's face, alluding to the lion “gardant” in the arms of Normandy, stands for the assault into that province of France. The fort represents Bastogne and the white background the snow-covered terrain of the Battle of the Bulge. The red and blue vertical divisions of the fort is taken from the arms of Bastogne; the bastions overlooking four directions refer to its strategic location at the cross roads of major lines of communication. The red, white and blue color combination of the design also alludes to the unit's war service with the “All American” Division, the 82d Airborne. * Background:The coat of arms was originally approved for the 320th Field Artillery Regiment, Organized Reserves on 27 July 1925. It was redesignated for the 320th Field Artillery Battalion on 23 April 1942. It was redesignated for the 320th Glider Field Artillery Battalion on 22 October 1942. The insignia was redesignated for the 320th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion and amended to delete the Organized Reserves’ crest on 15 October 1951. It was redesignated for the 320th Artillery Regiment on 24 September 1958. It was amended to add a crest on 1 April 1965. Effective 1 September 1971, the insignia was redesignated for the 320th Field Artillery Regiment. It was amended to correct the colors of the wreath in the blazon of the crest on 8 November 1972. It was amended to correct the blazon of the crest on 3 February 2005. Current configuration * 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/fa/0320fa01bn.htm * 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/fa/0320fa02bn.htm * 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/fa/0320fa03bn.htm * 4th Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/fa/0320fa04bn.htm See also * Field Artillery Branch (United States) * U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps * Blazon * Coats of arms of U.S. Artillery Regiments References * External links * Category:Field artillery regiments of the United States Army